Discussion on Game Engines with Rez Graham and Bryant Francis featured in Podcast Episode 42 on our site
In late 2023, Unity, a popular game engine provider, announced a significant shift in its business model. The company decided to charge developers on a per-user-install basis, marking one of the biggest changes since its founding. This decision, announced in October 2023, introduced a fee for each installation of a game built with the Unity engine, moving away from the traditional licensing based primarily on revenue and seat counts.
The impact of this change was immediate and controversial within the game development community. Many developers and studios criticised the new pricing model due to its unpredictability, especially for free-to-play games or titles with large install bases. The announcement resulted in unrest, with some studios deciding to move their projects away from Unity to other engines to avoid these new fees. Large publishers and indie developers expressed concerns about increased costs and the complexity of tracking installs.
Unity later attempted to clarify and adjust some aspects of the policy in response to the backlash but maintained the overall approach of charging based on installations. The specifics of the pricing tiers and details were still evolving as of mid-2025, including the introduction of monthly and one-time purchase point systems for various licenses, but the per-install charge remained a core element.
Meanwhile, in a podcast episode, Rez Graham, a senior AI programmer and Director of Game Programming at the Academy of Art University's School of Game Development, discussed the decision to select an engine for game development. Graham, who is knowledgeable about building a custom game engine, highlighted the pros and cons of using an off-the-shelf solution versus creating one's own. He also discussed the issue of choosing an engine, the inevitability of fighting the engine chosen, the importance of understanding the underlying engineering, and cautionary tales from the MMO industry.
The debate over fairness and sustainability for developers at all levels was not limited to Unity's decision. Rez Graham believes that the games industry should prioritise its employees rather than cutting them. He suggests that companies should fight for their employees by offering better wages and avoiding excessive work hours, citing Satoru Iwata, the former CEO of Nintendo, as an example of a leader who prioritised employees over cost-cutting measures.
In a related development, Unity laid off approximately 1800 employees globally in the first quarter of an unspecified year, following two years of smaller cuts at the company. Unity's interim CEO, Jim Whitehurst, has discussed the company's path to profitability, which is product-led.
The podcast episode, which features interviews with Rez Graham and Senior Editor Bryant Francis, discusses these issues and provides valuable insights for game developers and industry enthusiasts alike. The music for the podcast episode is by Mike Meehan, produced by Jordan Mallory.
[1] Source: Unity's official announcement and various industry reports.
1) The controversial decision by Unity to charge developers based on a per-user-install basis for games built with their engine has sparked debates among the game development community, with concerns raised about its unpredictability, especially for free-to-play games and titles with large install bases.
2) As alternative options, game developers may consider building their own custom engines or exploring other off-the-shelf solutions, a topic discussed by Rez Graham, a senior AI programmer, who emphasized the importance of understanding the underlying engineering and prioritizing employees' welfare in the games industry.
